Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1887-10-07

not be bad plan 10 impress the natives
with sense of our power by shooting
some of them if possible. This, ualuckily
enough, struck Us as good idea; and &C
cordingly we at once got out our eight-bore
rifles, for which we still had a.few cart
ridges left, and prepared for action There
were four of the animals; 4 big bull, a COW,
and two young ones, one three parts
grown. We got up TO them without diff
Guilty, the great animals contenting them
selves with sinking down into the water,
and rising again few yards farther on;
indeed, their excessive tamcnes5 struck
me as being peculiar. When the advanc-
ing boats were about five hundred yards
away, Sir Henry opened the bail by firing
at the three-parts-grown young one. The
heavy bullet struck It fair between the
eyes, and, crashing through the skull,
killed il, and it sank, leaving a long train
of blood behind At the same moment L
fired at the cow, and Good at the old bull.
Ny shot took effect, but not fatally, and
down went the hippopotamus with pro-
digious splashing, only TO rise again pres
emily, blowing and grunting furiouSly,
i7eing all the water round her crimson,
when / killed her with the left barrel
Good, who is an eXecrable shot, missed the
head OF the bull altogether, the bullet
merely cutting the side OF his face as it
passed On glancins up, after had fired
my second shot, perceived that the peo-
pie we hal fallen among were evidently
ignorant of the nature of firearms, for the
CONSERVATION caused by our shots, and
effect upon the animals, was prodigious.
Some of the parties in the boats began to
cry out with fear; others turned and made
~, Il
gentleman with the sword looked greatly
puzzled and alarmed, and halted his big
boat We had, however, but little
time for observation, for just then the old
bull, rendered furious by the wound he
had received, rose fair within forty yards
of us, glaring .avagely. We all fired, and
hit him in various places; and down he
went, badly wounded. Curiosity now be-
gan to overcome the fear Of the onlookers,
and some OF them sailed on up close to US;
amongst these being the man and woman
whom we had first seen a couple OF hours
or so before, who drew up almost along
side. Just then the great brute rose again
within ten yards of their boat, and Instant
~, with a roar of fury made at it open
mouthed. The woman shrieked, and the
man tried to give boat way, but without
success. In another second saw the huge
red laws and cleaning iyorieS close with
crunch on the frail craft, taking an enor-
nous mOuthful out of its side, and capsiZ-
ing it. Down went the boat, leaving its
occupants struggling in the water. Next
moment, before we could do anything to-
ward saving them, the huge and furious
creature was up again and making open
mouthed at the poor girl who was strug-
Cling in the water. Lifting my rifle just
as the grinding jaws were about to close on
her, fired over her head right down the
hippopotamuS' throat. Over he went and
J. commenced turning round and round,
snorting and blowing red streams of blood
through his noStrils. Before he could re-
cover himself however, ! let him have the
other barrel in the side of the throat, and
that finished him. He never moved or
struggled again, but instantly sank. Our
next effort was directed toward saving the
girl, the man having swum off toward an
other boat; and in this we were fortunately
successful, pulling her into the canoe
amidst the shouts of the spectatorS) con-
siderably exhausted and frightened, but
otherwise unhurt.
Meanwhile the boats had gathered to-
gether at a distance, and we could see that
their occupants, who were evidently much
frightened, were consulting what TO do
Without giving them time for further con-
slderatiOn, which we thought might result
unfavOrably to ourselves, we instantly
took our paddles and advanced toward
them, Good standing in the bow and tax
ing of his cooked hat politely in every di-
rcction, his amiabe features diffused by q
bland but Intelligent smile. Most OF the
craft retreated as we advanced; but & few
held their ground, while the big rOwbOat
came on to meet us. Presently we were
alongside and | could see that our appear
ancc-aHd especially Goods and UmSlopO-
gaas-iilled the notwithstanding com
mander with establishment, not unmiXed
with awe. He was dressed after the same
fashion as the man we first met except
that his shirt was not made of brown cloth,
but OF pure white linen hemmed with pur-
pie. The kilt. however was identical. and
so were the thick rims of gold around the
arm and beneath the LEFT knee The row.
1erS Wore only kilt. their bodies being
naked to the waist Good took off his hat
to the old gentleman with an extra -four
sh, and inquired after his health in the
purest English, to which he replied by lay
ing the first two fingers of his right hand
horizontally across his lips and holding
thom there for a moment, which we took
rs his method of sautation Then he also
addressed some remarks to us in the same
soft accents that had distinguished our first
interviewer, which we were forced to indi-
cate we did not understand by shaking our
heads and Struggling our shoulders. This
last, Alphonsc, being to the manner born,
did to perfection, and in so polite a way
that nobody could take any offense. Then
we came to n stand-still till /, being ex-
ceedipgly hungry, thought l might Us well
call attention to the fact, and did so by
opening my mouth and pointing down it,
and then rubbing my stomach. These sig
nails the old gentleman clearly understood,
for he nodded his head vigorously, and
pointed toward the harbor; and at the
same time one of the men on his boat
threw us line and motioned to us to make
it fast, which we did. The row-boat then
took us in tow, and proceeded with great
rapidity toward the mouth Of the river,
accompanied by all the other boats. In
about twenty minutes more we reached
the entrance to the harbor, which was
crowded with boats full of people who had
come out to see us. We observed that all
the occupants were more or less of the
same type, though some were fairer than
whose skin was of most dazzling white
ness. and the darkest shade of color which
we saw was about that of rather swarthv
Spaniard Presently the wide river gave a
sweep; and when it did so an exclamation
OF astouishment and delight burst from
our lips rs we caught our first view Of the
place that we afterward knew as Milosis.
or the browning City Cfrom the prefix mi,
which means city, and IOSiS, frown).
At distance of some five hundred yards
from the rivers bank rose sheer preci-
pice of granite, two hundred feet or so in
height, which had, no doubt, once formed
the bank itself; the intermediate space of
land now utilized as docks and roadwavs
having been gained by draining, and deep
eniuE and embanking the stream.
TO be continued.I
Alexis and Virginia Chiyalry.
When tho Grand